Category Archives: Blog Post 1

by | September 16, 2015 · 7:00 am

What’s Texas Without Country Music & Vice Versa

Senator William Blakley once said “Texas is neither southern nor western. Texas is Texas.” As a born and raised Texan I couldn’t be more proud of where I come from. Whether you’re from Texas or not it is well-known that Texans are a proud bunch. I may be a bit biased but I would say no such state has a reputation as big as ours. Texas is known for our delicious food, beautiful landscapes, colorful history, intense sports culture, and country music. Yes, a majority of what Texas is known for is a bit stereotypical, although Texas is a lot more than just Redneck cowboys. However, this cowboy culture I believe is part of how Texas and country music have become so intertwined and well-known.

I can’t imagine a Texas without country music or country music without Texas. They need each other! Growing up I had mixed feelings about country music but since I was about fifteen I fell in love and never looked back. Country music, yes is influenced by the south as well as the west but its relationship and influences with Texas are like no other. There are easily over a hundred country songs about or at least mentioning Texas. Without Texas there would be no George Strait, Pat Green, Miranda Lambert, Neal McCoy, Robert Earl Keen, Willie Nelson, Tanya Tucker, and many more. Texas has its own subdivision of country for goodness sake.

As a Texan I find country music as the most relatable of genres, but not because I’m always in boots and riding on a horse but because I can turn on the radio and hear songs about my own city, places I have driven through, ideals I cherish, and things I have actually done. My Texas by Josh Abbot and Stockyards by Casey Donahew Band are perfect examples of how my association as a country music fan and a Texan coincide. Some lyrics from the song My Texas are things which I have done here in Texas such as, “You haven’t been to the Ft. Worth stock show,” “Sang “Everclear” at a Creager show,” and “Haven’t had a kolache when you go through West.” These memories are part of who I am and hearing songs sang about them I realize these are pastimes of a group of people like me. These are things Texans do. Texans are proud of what makes up our vast state and our people. Many country songs share this. One of the most obvious and proud is from Little Texas’ God Blessed Texas. “God blessed Texas with His own hand. Brought down angels from the Promised Land. Gave them a place where they could dance. If you wanna see Heaven, brother, here’s your chance. Well, I’ve been sent to spread the message. ‘God blessed Texas’” I’m sure this pride can come off cocky to out-of-staters but we just want to share with everyone how incomparable and wonderful Texas is.

I am a fan of many genres of music but when country comes on it creates a feeling that is hard to describe. I relate to country and those who sing it relate to me. As a Texan I may be surrounded by some country music but it’s the reality and actions of being Texan that make the lyrics seem to be a part of me! George Strait says it perfectly in If It Wasn’t For Texas, “I wouldn’t be a Willie fan. Nobody’d swim the Rio Grande. I wouldn’t be an American, if it wasn’t for Texas. “

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by | September 15, 2015 · 11:00 am

Texas is a State of Mind

John Steinbeck once said, “Texas is a state of mind.” Whether you are from Texas or not, I think we can all agree that the pride from The Lone Star State is greater than any other state pride. It definitely creates a sense of community, and although it is a large one, I definitely feel connected. We like to do our own thing and when it comes to country music, of course we have to stray from the mainstream.

One band that I think represents this community, and I have seen live about seven times, is Josh Abbott Band. They love to sing in their twangy voice about Texas and small towns and, while I am not from a small town, I can relate to the beautiful scenery described in songs such as “She’s Like Texas.” He uses similes to compare a girl he likes and Texas. He talks about the “Padre Island sun” and “hills that surround Austin” (which is where I am from). Every place he mentions in the lyrics are places I have been and are what Texas is known for. Not only does he discuss the different areas, but also gives values, such as God and family, that associate with the ideal Texas girl.

53775_10152613691885552_276132377469913890_oWhen I was little I never realized that this sub-genre of Texas country was a thing. I assumed every country music fan knew the songs of Charlie Watson, Aaron Watson, and Cody Johnson. Once discussing it with out of staters, especially Tennessee natives, I soon realized that the reason for the difference in the pop sound and traditional sound was regional, creating the line between Nashville and Texas. Texas country bands are driven by live performances and a fan base that is dedicated to their favorite songs. With more tour dates, most of them in Texas,  than the average pop country artist, it allows the dedicated fan base to stay loyal.

While I still respect and enjoy Nashville music, I love listening to songs about Texas with my friends and family because of the sense of community I feel. We can blast CD’s that have all the songs with the word “Texas” in it and go to a small, outdoor venue to two step. Thank you Willie and Waylon for paving the way.

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by | · 7:00 am

The Country in Fort Worth

As told from Urban Dictionary, “Fort Worth is the craziest dopest place in Texas”. From a different perspective, Urban Dictionary also says, “Save yourself some time and just move to Dallas.” Twenty years ago, I was born in Fort Worth, Texas and with every passing year, the love for my city grew. The people I familiarized myself with, including my family, friends, peers, etc., all felt the same way. When people ask where I am from, I simply say I am a Fort Worthian, or I originate from the Worthiest of Forts. Living in this great city for my entire life has led me to build a permanent and meaningful community. Those who are Fort Worth bred are proud and share a unanimous collective effervescence. This mutual feeling was accumulated most prominently in schools, where kids would share their ideas and family customs. The Fort Worth public school I attended allowed us to listen to our iPods during recess, and some teachers let us listen to them during class or passing periods. Music is one of the things that enabled me to bond with my fellow classmates. A wide array of genres was also blasted at McLean Middle School. One of the more prominent types of music blared was country music. Growing up in Fort Worth has inadvertently exposed me to the world of country music. Texas is teeming with country music, whether you think it or not. Living in Fort Worth supported the introduction to this type of music. One event that endorsed country music was the Fort Worth Stock Show. At the end of every January and beginning of every February, the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo comes to life. The promotion of livestock, horse and bull riding, petting zoos, roller coasters, and country music all coincide into a dollop of fun. This is just one of the factors that constructed my outlook on country music. When high school rolled around, more and more of my friends started going to country concerts at Lone Star. Mardi Gras Texas Style was the one country concert that every kid from Fort Worth and Dallas attended. Bands such as Randy Rogers Band, Turnpike Troubadours, Cody Johnson Band, and more, play their music. Being involved in the Fort Worth community really and truly helped formulate my outlook and perspective on country music. A song that everyone loved in middle school and high school, probably even today, is Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band. This song was huge in Fort Worth. Radio stations including 99.5, 95.9, and 96.7 all repeatedly played this at the same time, almost as though they planned it. Listening to Zac Brown automatically lifted any dark clouds and always put my friends and me in a good mood.

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Filed under Austin, Blog Post 1, Class work, Texas

by | September 14, 2015 · 11:00 am

Meeting My Texas

People from across the nation and even people across the globe have certain stereotypes regarding Texans. Whether it is, “everyone rides horses to school,” or “everyone owns a cowboy hat,” every Texan can relate to the stereotype of Texas as being “country” or “redneck”.

As a native Texan for over 19 years, I am proud to be able to identify myself with this community. I am fortunate enough to see some of the most beautiful sunsets, eat some of the most delicious food and surround myself with good friends. Being a Texan I am able to relate to tons of country music songs because a lot of the lyrics reference this sense of community I feel every day.

UnknownOne particular song that I am able to relate to is a song by The Josh Abbott Band called “My Texas”. Josh Abbott refers to Texas as a person. Abbott states different things to do in Texas and if you have not done these things, then you haven’t “met his Texas yet”. In the second verse of this song, he references floating down the Frio River, hearing red dirt music on your radio and eating Cooper’s in Llano. He then ends by saying if you haven’t done these things then you haven’t “met his Texas yet”. I relate to this song and the community of being a Texan because I grew up going to Concan, Texas, which is located on the Frio River. I cannot count how many times I have floated down it- too many to remember! I also grew up listening to red dirt music, including artists such as Mike McClure band, The Great Divide, Cross Canadian Ragweed and many, many more. Most of my road trips consist of blaring “Texas Moon” by the talented, and one of my favorite red dirt artists, Stoney LaRue. The verse ends by mentioning eating Cooper’s in Llano. Although I have never had Cooper’s Barbeque in Llano, there is a Cooper’s Barbeque in New Braunfels, my hometown. My mother can always count on Cooper’s barbeque to save the night for dinner after a long day at work. Out of the 24 references he makes about Texas, I’ve done, seen or can connect to 20 of them. I say with confidence that I have met “his” Texas!

Being able to relate to this song in particular has given me a deeper sense of being in the Texan community and also helped me shape my outlook on country music. I am able to appreciate it more because I am able to relate to many of the lyrics included in many country songs.

Let’s see if you’ve met Josh Abbott’s (and my!) Texas yet!

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by | · 7:00 am

Have You Met My Texas Yet?

What exactly does it mean to be part of a community? It means feeling like you are a part of something that makes a whole. It means contributing to something others can relate to. Luckily for me, my sense of community is strong. I am born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas and if someone were to ask me who I am, the first thing that comes to my mind is Texan. Yes, I take that very seriously. Being a Texan is something that people think of as the southern hick stereotype. For example, I grew up going to summer camp in Missouri and every year without fail I would be asked, “Oh you’re from Texas? Does that mean you ride your horse to school?” No, I drive a car because there are roads in Texas!

When people think of Texas, they usually imagine deserts and horses and not much else. However, if non-Texans listen to “My Texas” by Josh Abbot Band, it is obvious that Texas has much more to it than cowboys. Josh Abbot Band lists events and destinations that a true Texan should complete within their lifetime. One could say that real Texas pride can be determined by the amount of things you can check off from Josh Abbot Band’s list. I can say for myself that I have successfully completed 16 items off the Texas bucket list. Some of these include, “floating down the ole Rio, been to the Houston rodeo, sang ‘Carry On’ at a Pat Green show, seen an Abilene sunset, [and] been somewhere where they call you friend” (Josh Abbot Band). I encourage anyone who doesn’t completely understand what it means to be a Texan to listen to this song and give me your feedback.

Being a Texan makes you feel like you belong to an exclusive group. No one truly understands Texas until they live there. That being said, the majority of people within the United States are naïve as to what being a Texan is all about. Each person’s identity belongs in his or her specific city, county or suburb within Texas, but all of these areas make up one big state of mind. Part of my identity belongs to Fort Worth. No, not Dallas, not Dallas-Fort Worth but just Fort Worth. If you listen closely to Josh Abbot, you will notice that Dallas is not mentioned. That is a whole different story.

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